Improvement in tools for cutting off pipes in oil-wells



'- terrestre jeach successive section of'the cylinder. The lower end of the cylinder A is slotted,` as seen JAMES H. LUTHER, or PETROLEUM" CENTRE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 111,220, aattdnnuary 24, 1871.

IMBRovEMl-:NT 1N TooLs FoR cui-Tmc. ori P IPEs 1N OIL-WELLS.-

The Schedule referred to in these Iietters Patent and making p'art of the same.

To all whom 'Lt may concern:

` Be it known 'that I, JAMES H. LUTHER, of Pe` trolenm Centre', in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful V Improvements in 'lools for Cutting ol Pipe in Oil- W'ells; and I do hereby declare that the following isv a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying. drawing making a part Aot' this application; x

The object of my invention is to provide a tool 'which will ellectually eut olf the casing oi' oil-wellsl at any desired point, and -also assist, il' necessary, in raising the same, and consists of a rotating cylinder carrying cutters, which are forced againsttlie surface to he cut-by the pressure of a wedge-shaped mau-4 drel, constructed and operating as will be more'fully' set forth.

VToenable those skilled .in the art to lmake 'anduse my improved vcutting-tool, I will proceed to describe theeoustruction and. operation of the same,

referring by letters to the accompanying drawing, 1n

rlhis section' A has its lower end for a short dis.

tance -reamed out and threaded, andreceives the male thread of a. tapered endpiece, B, which serves toV guide the cylinderl into the casing, and atthe same ltime prevents the sediment from interfering with the 'proper working of 'the cutters.

The upper 4end or4 section 0 is a simple piece of tubing, with a cross-T, provided with two levers, 1 2, screwed linto it, andadap'tedto he connected with at c, for thefpassageof the cutters b and pressers c, the one being immediately opposite4 the other, vso that the presserc will always 'cause thc'.cutter b to impinge` against the sulface tobe cnt fandV` steady the cylinder. l

. lhese cutters and pressers (any desired number of whichunaybe used) .are eonstructedas more clearly seen at igs. 3 and 4, vwith the properi'aces, andalso with a lip, d, that holds them in place and prevents thelndropping outwardly through the slots c.

-'l.`his lip rests'against tleinteriorof the cylinder at that point where it is slightly reamed out, just above lThese cutters'are put in" place'from the inside, and are heldin bythe mandrel, which vis made in two parts, I) and E. The lower part or section E terminates'in an inverted frnstnm-:of a cone orlwedge, and'j at the proper distance from the top of sadwedgeis a stop-ring, e,'which has a channel' cut through it at one side, as seen at f.

On the underside of said ring, next to this channel, is astop-pin, yg, which prevents the mandrel from being turned off the stop-pin 11, in 'the side of the cylinder, when it is desired for it to rest thereon, until it shall have'been rst lifted slightly.

This stop-pin his made with a thread, so that it may be drawn out vs'uiiciently to admit of the insertion and complete withdrawal of the mandrel. The upper portion or section of the mandrel Dis the same size, and provided at its to'p end with a thread for securing to it the sucker-rod, andat'its bottom end structed, as clearly shown, with a threaded ste 1n r un' ning in the female-thread in the lower portion I, so

that the said Icellar may b'elengthened orshortened. Thebcttom surface of this collar when in use rests upon the top of" the casing, which is representedby tool..

In preparing for the insertion of the tool-witliin the casing the mandrel D -E is put inthe,cutter-cylinder' A, and the stop-pin h having been 'screwed in the proper distance, the ring e on the mandrel rests upon said'pin,which allows the cutters to'be drawn'ba-ck to their smallest diameter. The cutter-cylinder with its cutters is then lowered into the casing, lengthened by additional sections until the cutters are helowthe lower end of the casing or tube to be cut. v

yA"suflieient hngt-h of sucker-redis then lowered within the cylinder until the lower end enters the screw in upper end of the tapered mandrel, and is secured thereto. The mandrel is then `lifted hysaid sucker-rod until the pins or shoulders'g are free of the stop-pin 711,. whenitis turned until thev chaunelf and stoppin h are in line. 1t is then lowered again, and

the tapered or Wedge-shaped end passes dow'n between and' behind the cutters, thus forcing them out to their vgreatest diameter. The cutter-cylinder is then lifted up until the top surface of the cutters strike the lower endl'of the casing or tube to be cut.

The'distance from the bottom of said tnbe,where it is desired to make the'cnt, having been ascertained ordetermined, the tapered mandrel is lifted, turned and brought to rest in its first position on the stoppin h the cutter-cylinder is `now lifted 'a distance equal to that from the :bottom of the casing to the point where it is to be'cut, (the cutters being forcedback to their smaller `diameter,) the cylinder is secured at this point bythe collar H I, resting upon the top of the casing orusual thimble. The mandrel 'is then allowed to go back to its second position, be-

hind and between the cutters, and sufficient pressure is allowed toforce the cutters out properly during the cutting operation, which is effected' by rotating the cutter-cylinder by means of the levers 12.

'It frequently becomes necessary to gap or cut l out-an annular' space ijn the casing,'to allow thewater to wash with it the' sediment through saidgapor space down below thecut end ot' the casing, and thus relieve it from `the pressure of said water and sediment, and .llowfthe casing to be 'freely withdrawn;

this a inc is accom lished b Y runninnr down the.

g P e P .l e

npperstemmed portieri H of the collar, upon which the cross-T of the cylinder isresting; this, lof course,

lowers gradually the cylinder and the cutters, which latter begin and continue 4(as the lowering is con- Itinued)lto rearnor turnoff from the upper edge 'of Athe incision made by said cutters, thus producing-a' gapequal in width to the distance traveled by the upper portion of the collar. (This collar is also used for compensating, for the shortening of the cylinder',

' by the. tightening of the several screw-joints.)

sition, andthe sucker-rods are withdrawn, leaving the cylinder and mandrel down; the cylinder is now in a similar manner, \vitl'1drawn,and as it rises (the mandrel being suiiciently out of the way) the cnt ters are forced into their smallest diameter and. offer no impediment( to the withdrawal of the cylinder; The casing now having been entirely cleared, it is, ina similar manner, withdrawn. But, on the other hand, it having been determined that the casing sticks to such an extent that there is fear of parting .iti-if too great a strain be exerted, the taper mandrel l andsucker-rod is allowed to remain in the position;

they occupied during the cutting and gaping process, and a lift taken on thecutter-cylinder and casing to gether, the latter resting on the top face of the dis- `tended cutters.

' If the casing does not then 1nove,'the fact`is thus established that the sediment is behindlsoine other thiinble or coupling higher up, the pressure of the sucker-rods is partially relieved, and the cylinder with its cutters is raised until the next coupling is reached, which is determined by the cutters seeking to distend to the largerdiameter of the coupling, and thus bobbin g, as it were, the sucker-rod it is then raised above the thimble or coupling, andthe cutting and gaping process yrenewed at this point, and soon until the seat of the difficulty is found and overcome'. The sediment has now'all-passed down on the inside of be lowered until the cutters are distended underneath withdrawn. l,

Again, suppose thecasing to have been parted be- -low the surface of the well, at any point, the operation would then be as follows:

The cutters having made the cut or gap, as before, they are left distended, and a lift taken 011 the cylinder and continued until the upper end of the casing` approaches the surface, when it is clamped', the cutter-cylinder andY sucker-rods withdrawn, and the casing taken out,as before. y 5.

Having described the construction and operation of my improved tool,

Vhat l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-l justable' pin h, slots a, cutters b, pressers c, and beveled guide or end, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

terminating-in an inverted frustum of a cone, or .wedge-shaped,- and. provided with a stop-ring` and pins, and the upper extremity of its top section threaded, and bottom provided with jar pin the two coupled Yby the slotted coupling F, all constructed .and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth. v

section having the cross-T and levers, the collar H I, constructed and operating substantially in -the inanner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

(l, to retain .them in place, and having their backs as and for the purposes set forth. j A

` Witness my hand and seal to the foregoing specification this 9th day of June, A. D. 1870.

J. H. LUTHER. [13. s]

Witnesses: j WM. C. Mlnrrm,

T. H. UPPERMAN:

the casing Aremaining in, and the 'cutter-cylinder may.

the lower edge of piece or pieces left, 4and they too.v

1. The cutter-cylinder A, provided with the ad.

2. The mandrel D E, having itslower extremity I 3.111 combination withthe cylinder proper and top 4. The cutters b, and pressers c, provided with lips beveled, in combination with the tapered mandrel E, 

